With portable cameras, it is desirable to have an apparatus which can support the camera in any number of desired configurations. The apparatus must easily accommodate repositioning the camera to new orientations during use, and must be easily transportable. This is especially true when using the camera with a portable computer, such as a laptop computer. With increasing improvements in technology, both the laptop computer and camera have become smaller over time, emphasizing the need for a compatible camera support apparatus. The camera support apparatus must be versatile, light in weight, and be easily transportable to accommodate the new camera and laptop designs, and must desirably facilitate easy and safe storage of the camera. Often times portable computers are stored in carry bags which may be fully loaded with other hardware devices, such as disk drives or printers, as well as with personal effects, making for cramped storage conditions. The camera support apparatus must desirably protect the camera from damage during transport under these cramped storage conditions to avoid the necessity for separate storage means in order to maintain camera portability.
In the past, camera support apparatus were not easily transportable. Often times these apparatus utilized designs which incorporated a tripod approach, or which used one or more telescoping arms to support the camera. These designs attempted to support the camera during use, and then collapse to a smaller size to facilitate storage or transportation. While these designs were transportable, often times even the collapsed size of the prior art camera support apparatus could not be easily accommodated by a laptop computer bag. These prior art apparatus also did not provide means to protect the camera during transport, and if constructed of hard, exposed materials, tended to damage the cameras.
Another problem with prior art camera support apparatus was that they could not easily accommodate the variety of applications desired for portable cameras. These applications ranged from supporting the camera on the surface of a desk or table to supporting the camera on the upright display screen of a laptop computer. With the prior art, often times more than one camera support apparatus was necessary in order to support the desired range of applications. This unfortunately adversely impacted portability of the camera.
Thus, a desire was created within the industry for a small, easily transportable camera support apparatus for supporting the camera on both horizontal surfaces, such as the surface of a desk or table, and vertical surfaces, such as the display screen of a laptop computer, and to protect the camera during storage and transport.